Cooled electronic circuit board

Abstract

A cooled electronic circuit board (10) comprising:a support circuit board (11) equipped with sockets (12a, 12b, 12c) mutually alongside each other for DIMM storage modules (13);DIMM storage modules (13) each equipped with a plug (14) which can be coupled with one of the sockets (12a, 12b, 12c);two supports (15, 16) for storage modules (13), having respective channels (17) for the passage of a cooling liquid;thermal conduits (18) connected to the channels (17), each located between two adjacent sockets (12a, 12b, 12c) of the support circuit board (11);heat diffusers (19) each equipped with two walls (20, 21) each covering a side of one of the storage modules (13).The heat diffusers (19) are designed in such a way that, in use, two of the adjacent heat diffusers are in mutual thermal contact and in thermal contact with the thermal conduits (18) and with the supports (15, 16).

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A cooled electronic circuit board ( 10 ) comprising:
 a support circuit board ( 11 ) equipped with sockets ( 12   a ,  12   b ,  12   c ) mutually alongside each other for DIMM storage modules ( 13 ); 
 DIMM storage modules ( 13 ) each equipped with a plug ( 14 ) which can be coupled with one of the sockets ( 12   a ,  12   b ,  12   c ); 
 two supports ( 15 ,  16 ), having respective channels ( 17 ) for the passage of a cooling liquid; 
 heat diffusers ( 19 ) each equipped with two walls ( 20 ,  21 ) each covering a side of one of the storage modules ( 13 ) for absorbing heat; 
 thermal conduits ( 18 ) which are in thermal contact with the supports ( 15 ,  16 ), each of the thermal conduits ( 18 ) is located between two adjacent sockets ( 12   a ,  12   b ,  12   c ) of the support circuit board ( 11 ); 
 wedge-shaped or L-shaped elements ( 28 ,  29 ) for compressing the heat diffusers ( 19 ) against one another 
 wherein a lower face ( 22 ) of each of the heat diffusers ( 19 ) is in contact with the thermal conduits ( 18 ) adjacent to one of the sockets ( 12   a ,  12   b ,  12   c ) of the support circuit board ( 11 ); 
 wherein in use two of the adjacent heat diffusers ( 19 ) are in thermal contact by respective side faces ( 23   a ,  23   b ); 
 wherein the heat diffusers ( 19 ) having two opposite longitudinal ends ( 24 ,  25 ) each in thermal contact with one of the supports ( 15 ,  16 ); 
 wherein the lower face ( 22 ) of each of the heat diffusers ( 19 ) is parallel to the support circuit board ( 11 ) when installed in operation, facing the thermal conduit ( 18 ); 
 wherein the support circuit board ( 11 ) is thermally coupled with the bottom face ( 22 ) of all of the heat diffusers ( 19 ); 
 wherein the thermal conduits ( 18 ) are mechanically and thermally directly connected with the supports ( 15 ,  16 ); 
 wherein each of at least two of the heat diffusers ( 19 ) is parallel and in thermal contact with two different and adjacent DIMM storage modules ( 13 ) by the respective side faces ( 23   a ,  23   b ); 
 wherein the sockets ( 12   a ,  12   b ,  12   c ) of the support circuit board ( 11 ) comprise two head sockets ( 12   a ,  12   b ) and intermediate sockets ( 12   c ); the sockets ( 12   a ,  12   b ,  12   c ) forming a series of sockets mutually aligned between the head sockets ( 12   a ,  12   b ); the electronic circuit board ( 10 ) comprising two cooled containment elements ( 26 ,  27 ) fixed to the support circuit board ( 11 ) and each adjacent to one of the head sockets ( 12   a ,  12   b ); wherein the wedge-shaped or L-shaped elements ( 28 ,  29 ) are inserted between one of the containment elements ( 26 ,  27 ) and one of the heat diffusers ( 19 ) which is coupled to one of the storage modules ( 13 ) which engages a corresponding one of the head sockets ( 12   a ,  12   b ), in such a way as to compact a central part of the heat diffusers ( 19 ) by means of the cooled containment elements ( 26 ,  27 ), increasing the dissipation of heat in particular in a central zone of the heat diffusers ( 19 ). 
 
     
     
       2. The electronic circuit board ( 10 ) according to  claim 1 , further comprising threaded elements ( 30 ) fixating the wedge-shaped or L-shaped elements ( 28 ,  29 ) to the containment elements ( 26 ,  27 ). 
     
     
       3. The electronic circuit board ( 10 ) according to  claim 1 , wherein the space between the electronic components of two adjacent storage modules ( 13 ) is occupied by the walls of two of the heat diffusers ( 19 ) which are respectively coupled to the adjacent storage modules ( 13 ). 
     
     
       4. The electronic circuit board ( 10 ) according to  claim 1 , wherein the heat diffusers ( 19 ) are pushed against the thermal conduits ( 18 ). 
     
     
       5. The electronic circuit board ( 10 ) according to  claim 4 , further comprising threaded elements ( 31 ) fixating the heat diffusers ( 19 ) to the supports ( 15 ,  16 ). 
     
     
       6. The electronic circuit board ( 10 ) according to  claim 2 , further comprising deformable thermally conductive mats ( 32 ) installed between the walls ( 20 ,  21 ) of two adjacent heat diffusers ( 19 ) and/or between the walls ( 20 ,  21 ) and the thermal conduits ( 18 ), to form a thermal bridge between them. 
     
     
       7. The electronic circuit board ( 10 ) according to  claim 1 , wherein the supports ( 15 ,  16 ) have plates passed through internally by the channels ( 17 ) and/or heat exchangers of the roll-bond type. 
     
     
       8. The electronic circuit board ( 10 ) according to  claim 2 , wherein the heat diffusers ( 19 ) consist of two complementary bodies ( 19   a ,  19   b ) coupled in such a way as to define between them a cavity housing one of the storage modules ( 13 ); the bodies ( 19   a ,  19   b ) being in thermal contact at least at the longitudinal ends ( 24 ,  25 ). 
     
     
       9. The electronic circuit board ( 10 ) according to  claim 5 , wherein the threaded elements ( 31 ) deforms thermally conductive mats ( 32 ) to operate in compression for improving thermal transmission between the heat diffusers ( 19 ) and the supports ( 15 ,  16 ).